GUNG-HO GOAL ...

Bucking odds, Chargers rookie Allen wants to start at receiver

Vincent Brown

One of most impressive players in spring after injury sidelined him in 2012.

Malcom Floyd

Veteran staple can still stretch field, has strong rapport with Philip Rivers.

Danario Alexander

Looks to build on 658-yard, 7-touchdown breakout in final 9 games.

The competition

Expectations are different for rookie Keenan Allen.

His situation is unlike that of tackle D.J. Fluker, the Chargers’ first-round pick, or inside linebacker Manti Te’o, their second-rounder. Both were inserted into the starting lineup immediately upon arriving in San Diego this offseason.

Allen isn’t supposed to start Week 1.

That, he said recently, won’t keep him from trying.

The wide receiver has a goal once players return to the field July 25 for training camp, and it’s a goal that, while unlikely to come to fruition for reasons external to him, is the type the Chargers want from a young player. As a third-round choice, Allen had to wait before entering the NFL. To make an impact, he looks to earn a role so he won’t have to again.

“I want to be a starter,” Allen said. “I don’t want to watch. I want to be part of the moment. I don’t want to watch it.”

Forty-two offensive players were drafted this year in the first three rounds. Allen was one of three not old enough to celebrate over a sip of champagne; he turned 21 a day after getting picked.

That makes him the youngest piece to a wide receiver corps that arguably is the deepest position group on the Chargers’ roster. There figures to be some combination of Danario Alexander, Malcom Floyd and Vincent Brown rotating prominently. Eddie Royal also has taken extensive offseason reps with the first-team offense in the slot. Robert Meachem, a practical lock to make the roster given his guaranteed base salary, helps round out the veteran group.

So, it would surprise if Allen repeated in San Diego what he did at Cal as the former
Rivals.com No. 5 high school prospect in the nation, and that is to start in his first year.

That said, things can change quickly.

On the final day of minicamp, Allen found first-team reps alongside Brown and Floyd when Alexander and Royal were banged up with undisclosed injuries.

Allen, not regarded as a burner at 6-feet-2 and 206 pounds, displayed the smoothness in route-running and acceleration that drew comparisons to Reggie Wayne coming out of college. Those physical tools are important, but the mental side of things will have a louder say in how much playing time Allen sees in 2013.

He became more comfortable with the offense’s playbook and terminology — “I’m ready for anything,” Allen said after minicamp — after reporting to organized training activities a week late because of Cal’s academic calendar.

His comfort must continue to grow in camp.

“He’s done a nice job buying into what we’re doing,” coach Mike McCoy said this month. “It’s a change for him. We’re moving guys around, and the skill-position guys really need to know every position because you never know when Philip (Rivers) is going to check at the line of scrimmage. You have an idea where you’re playing, but when it comes to a formation, Philip can audible something whenever he wants. ... You’ve got to know every position.”